How to Use ABM in Q4 to Close Those Pesky Cold Opportunities and Boost Q1 Revenue

As Q4 approaches, many companies scramble to close as many deals as possible before the year ends. But let’s face it: not every opportunity that’s gone cold will sign by December 31st. These “cold” opportunities often remain stuck in the pipeline, waiting for renewed interest or budget availability. That doesn’t mean they’re a lost cause. In fact, now is the perfect time to deploy a focused Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy to re-ignite these stalled deals and boost your Q1 revenue.

An intentional, well-executed ABM plan in Q4 can help you turn those pesky cold opportunities into wins by January, even if contracts are signed now but execution waits for renewed budgets in 2024. Here's how to use ABM to bring cold deals back to life and kickstart the new year with momentum.

Why Q4 is the Perfect Time for ABM

ABM is all about personalized, account-focused engagement, and Q4 is the ideal time to lean into this approach for several reasons:

1. Decision-makers are planning next year’s budgets: Many of your prospects might have already maxed out their budgets for the current year. However, they are actively planning their 2024 strategies and allocating resources. With the right ABM strategy, you can position your solution as top of mind when those budgets renew in January.
2. You can capture end-of-year urgency: While budgets may be tight, many organizations still have a “use it or lose it” approach to leftover resources. ABM allows you to deliver hyper-targeted messaging that capitalizes on this urgency, giving you the chance to secure signatures now—even if the project won’t officially kick off until next year.
3. Cold opportunities are often overlooked: Traditional sales efforts tend to focus on new leads and hot deals, leaving cold opportunities in the background. ABM lets you prioritize these accounts with tailored outreach that reawakens interest, helping you uncover previously ignored opportunities.

How to Use ABM in Q4 to Re-Engage Cold Opportunities

To maximize the impact of ABM on your cold opportunities, you’ll need a strategic, data-driven approach. Here’s how to do it:

1. Segment Your Cold Opportunities by Potential

Not all cold opportunities are created equal. Some may have gone cold due to budget constraints, others because of shifting priorities or lost focus. Start by segmenting your cold opportunities based on their likelihood to renew interest:

• Budget-related stalls: These are the deals where the prospect expressed interest but indicated they didn’t have the funds to move forward in 2023.
• Prioritization stalls: These deals may have gone cold because the organization had other, more immediate priorities in Q3 or Q4.
• Lost momentum stalls: These opportunities fell off simply because of poor follow-up or lost momentum internally.

Each segment will require a different approach, and that’s where the personalized nature of ABM shines.

2. Build Personalized ABM Campaigns

Once you’ve segmented your opportunities, you can build personalized campaigns tailored to their unique needs and motivations. ABM is about delivering content, messaging, and offers that are specific to each account—this is the time to demonstrate your deep understanding of their business.

• For budget-related stalls, consider messaging around new year budget allocation. Create content that speaks to the ROI of your solution, emphasizing how they can kick off projects in January with renewed budgets while locking in current pricing or terms.
• For prioritization stalls, you can show how your product or service fits into their long-term strategy. Share case studies, results from similar companies, or business cases that connect the dots between your offering and their 2024 goals.
• For lost momentum stalls, sometimes it’s about rekindling interest with fresh perspectives. Offer exclusive end-of-year promotions, host personalized demos, or send targeted content that reignites the conversation. You can even re-introduce stakeholders into the loop who may have dropped out earlier in the process.

3. Use Intent Data to Track Renewed Interest

One of the most powerful aspects of ABM is the ability to track intent data. By monitoring how these cold opportunities interact with your content—whether they’re opening emails, downloading resources, or visiting key pages on your site—you can identify which accounts are showing renewed interest.

This intent data allows you to take a proactive approach. When an opportunity starts engaging again, your sales team can jump in with tailored outreach, strategically timed to capitalize on their interest. ABM platforms and tools can help automate this process, giving you real-time insights into which accounts are warming back up and are ready for more direct engagement.

4. Create Offers That Encourage Signing in Q4 with a 2024 Kickoff

For many companies, a Q4 close may seem unrealistic due to tight budgets. However, you can overcome this barrier by offering creative solutions that benefit both parties. For example:

• Sign now, start in 2024: Encourage cold opportunities to sign contracts in Q4, but with an agreement that the project or implementation will begin in January when their new budget kicks in. This not only secures the deal for you but also lets them plan ahead for the new year without having to allocate funds immediately.
• Early bird incentives: Offer end-of-year pricing or special terms that make it worthwhile for companies to commit before December 31st. This might include discounts, extended payment terms, or enhanced services, all while positioning the deal to kick off after the holiday season.
• Risk-free trials or pilots: For opportunities hesitant to commit fully, you can offer a trial period or pilot program. This allows prospects to see the value of your solution firsthand without a major financial commitment upfront, giving them confidence as they head into 2024.

5. Maintain Momentum into Q1

Q4 ABM efforts shouldn’t stop on January 1st. To ensure your cold opportunities turn into wins in the new year, plan for seamless follow-up and nurturing. Once the ink is dry on a contract, continue to engage these accounts with post-signature content and communication that helps them prepare for success in 2024.

Think of Q4 as a prelude to your Q1 success. The more you engage cold opportunities now with an ABM strategy, the stronger your start to the new year will be.

The Bottom Line: ABM is Your Q4 Game-Changer

If you’re looking to finish the year strong and set up a revenue boost in Q1, ABM is your secret weapon. By focusing on personalized, account-specific strategies, you can reignite cold opportunities and convert them into deals that kick off the new year with a bang.

Don’t let cold opportunities collect dust—use Q4 to your advantage. At Found&Chosen, we’re here to help you craft an ABM strategy that maximizes your pipeline and delivers long-term growth.

Let’s execute—giddy up!